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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

First snowdrops of 2015

Finally! I had been looking for snowdrops in the forest (near a farm) twice already, and finally today, here they are! (There will be a metaphor about searching for something at the end of this post.)

The temperature has been fluctuating from +4C during daytime (and probably a lot more in sunny spots) to minus 2C early in the morning. The last time I looked for the snowdrops a few days ago, there was still some snow in that part of the woods, and no snowdrops to be seen. That same day though, I noticed that the muscari bulbs near my parking spot had started to sprout!

Really? Here I had been going to the woods and walking the icy path to that one spot where I knew the snowdrops are, and nothing. Meanwhile, the muscari (known in Sweden as "pearl hyacinths", and I also learned the name "grape hyacinths" today) were growing right here, in front of my eyes.

Now for the metaphor:
It is interesting to think that that the answer we are looking for might already be here, right in front of us. Not a journey away, not in that one book that if I just bought it and read it I'm sure it would give me an answer. (For the record, I am all for books, and books do contain many good answers, and questions.)

Back to my pearl hyacinths, I suspect that a bunny or two have been munching on the new buds. So I sprinkled some red hot chili flakes on the buds - a tip I read somewhere. I hope this harms no one.